Container with integrally molded closure/tamper indicator

ABSTRACT

An integrally molded plastic container including a container body and a closure. The closure includes an orifice cap and sealing cap. The orifice cap is flexibly hinged to the neck portion adjacent to the container opening for pivoting movement from an open position to a closed position where the orifice cap closes the opening. The sealing cap is also flexibly hinged to the neck portion adjacent to the opening for pivoting movement relative to the orifice cap between a closed position where the sealing cap is in sealing relation with an orifice in the orifice cap and an open position where the sealing cap is out of sealing relation with the orifice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to molded plastic containers, bottles, and thelike having integrally molded multi-element closures, and to integraltamper indicating systems for such containers.

Plastic containers that are currently available require two separatecomponents. The two main components of the container are the containerbody, which defines one or more compartments, and a cap or closure whichis adapted for mounting on the container body for sealing thecompartment or compartments. Typically, the container body has arestricted neck portion and accordingly is produced by an extrusion orinjection blow molding operation. Manufacturing containers by extrusionblow molding generally offers the advantage that undercuts are easilyformed. Extrusion blow molding has the disadvantage that no integralsolid components can be formed concurrently, but hollow shapes such as ahandle can be formed by the volume of the container. Therefore,presently the closure for the container is produced separately by aninjection molding process and is assembled to the container body afterthe container has been first filled with the required contents.Injection blow molding offers the advantage of being able to formintegral solid components, for example, a solid handle. An example ofthis is illustrated in French Patent no. 1,192,475 where an integralsolid handle is formed as part of an injection blow molded bottle.However, each separate component requires its own set of tooling,manufacturing infrastructure and inventory control.

In many applications, the neck or container opening is too large to actas a restricting orifice. For such applications, a third or intermediatecomponent that includes a small orifice or multiple orifices, isprovided, to aid in the dispensing of flowable material. Pouring througha small restricting orifice aids in metering out of the contents andlimits the amount of spillage if the container is tipped over. Theintermediate or orifice component and closure are sometimes combined,forming a one-piece closure. One example of such a combination ofclosure/orifice is the dispensing closures used for example for shampoobottles and the like.

Often, the components of the container are manufactured from plastic inseparate operations in separate tooling in separate factories, afterwhich assembly of the separate components is required, prior to thecontainer being filled with the necessary contents. This requirestransport costs and automated sorting and assembly of the closure to thebody on the filling line. Consequently, this method of manufacture ischaracterized by compounded relatively high material, tooling andhandling costs, as well as increased costs for assembly. Moreover,producing the body of the container and the container closure fromdifferent materials complicates recycling of the containers. Suchcontainer and closure packages would be more economically andenvironmentally friendly if they could be produced from the samematerial in one manufacturing operation in one factory.

A further consideration is that tamper indication is becoming more of anecessity than a luxury. As the cases of malicious tampering increase,the public need and expect to be protected. Tamper evident containersare now becoming a prerequisite of all types of substances, for example,foods, pharmaceuticals, toiletries and other domestic and industrialproducts.

Many methods of tamper evidence are employed. Most methods requireseparate tooling, additional manufacturing infrastructure,transportation, inventory control and automated assembly. Two commonforms of tamper evidence include the use of a plastic sleeve that isshrunk onto the container, for example a jar of honey, and a plasticcircumferential tear tab that is formed integrally with a pivotal orremovable cap assembled, for example, a pill container. Some of thedisadvantages of the sleeve concept are that separate tooling isrequired to manufacture the sleeve and that production machinery isrequired for assembly. In addition, the technology is easily within thegrasp of an individual desiring to compromise the tamper evident system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a one-piece, integrally molded containerhaving a container body with one or more compartments and a doubleclosure cap means which is pivotally hinged to the container body,closing the compartments. In one embodiment, the closure cap meansincludes a sealing or outer cap portion and an orifice or inner capportion including an orifice which provides a restriction for meteringthe flow of material out of the container. The container neck defines aflat finger access area to facilitate reopening of the sealing cap andprovide a flat edge for the orifice cap hinge. Typical uses of theintegrally molded double cap container include the storage of toiletriesand pharmaceuticals, as well as domestic and industrial applications,such the storage of shampoo, cleaners, or any practical liquid, solid,powder granular or flowable substance.

An important advantage of the integrally molded container provided bythe present invention is that the entire container can be manufacturedin one process, which in a preferred embodiment, is an injection blowmolding process. In addition, the integral packaging system has inherentadvantages including a savings of material, being very easy to recyclebecause the whole container is obviously made from one type of material,and providing the capability of reopening of the orifice cap forrefilling purposes. Manufacturing a sealing cap and an orifice capintegral with the body using an injection blow molding or injectionmolding process in accordance with the present invention eliminates manyof the problems associated with container production using prior artmethods wherein containers are produced as two or three separatecomponents and then assembled together. For example, because the sealingcap has a fixed orientation relative to the body of the container, thefront of the cap will always face in the correct direction. That is, noangular misalignment is possible, such as is the case for existing screwor push on type closures. Additionally, this method avoids the need forthe forming of a thread, one of the most difficult features of a bottleto make. Moreover, because the entire container is manufactured from onetype of plastic, no separating out of the different plastic types isnecessary prior to recycling. Furthermore, because there is minimaloverlapping of the closure cap and the container body, there is asavings of material over the closing systems that are currentlyavailable. Another advantage is that the problem of color matching ofthe container and closure is eliminated.

The hinge for the orifice cap is almost fully concealed visually withinthe container closure so that it will not act as a dirt trap. Inaddition, the hinge for the orifice cap is relatively long which offersstrength for handling purposes and stiffness against torsional rotation.This aids in alignment when the orifice cap is rotated from its openposition to its closed position. Extra sealing and guidance is providedfor the sealing cap by a sealing lip defined by the orifice cap. Inaccordance with a feature of the invention, the orifice cap isresealable, allowing the container to be easily refilled. The sealingcap is fully sealed by the addition of a sealing wall, so that containerleakage will not occur.

Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided anintegrally manufactured container having a body with one or morecompartments and including for each compartment an integrally moldedtamper indicating system, an integrally molded pivotally hingedcooperating orifice cap with an integrally molded pivotally hingedcooperating sealable sealing cap. The tamper indicating system includesan integrally molded tamper proof tear tab which is provided forsecurity. The tear tab includes a free end portion which is adapted tobe attached to the container body such as by ultrasonic welding afterthe container has been filled and closed. The tamper indicating systemaccording to the present invention, eliminates many of the problemsassociated with tamper indicating systems currently available. Moreover,the tamper indicating system is easy to use and provides an obviousvisual and physical indication of tampering at a comparatively low cost.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an integrally molded, singlecompartment container in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention, the container being shown in the open molded state;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical section view of the container showingthe sealing cap closed;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section view of the second stage of injection blowmolding apparatus for producing the container;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the neck and closure of container inaccordance with further embodiment of the invention with the orifice capand the sealing cap in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a side section view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view of similar to that of FIG. 6, but with the orifice capand the sealing cap shown in the open position;

FIG. 8 is a side section view of the neck and closure of container inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention, with the orificecap and the sealing cap shown in the closed position;

FIG. 9 is a view of similar to that of FIG. 8 for an alternativeembodiment of the container neck and closure;

FIG. 10 is a view of similar to that of FIG. 8 for an alternativeembodiment of the container neck and closure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a single compartment container havingan integrally molded sealing cap, orifice cap and tamper tab assembly inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention, the container beingshown in the open molded condition;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 10, shown in thesealed condition;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container of FIG. 10with the tear tab removed;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the container showing thesealing cap open and the free end of the tear tab secured to thecontainer;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the container with the container beingshown in the open molded condition;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary front elevation view of the container;

FIG. 17 is a section view taken along the lines 17--17 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the container, with the container beingshown in the closed condition;

FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of the container shown in the closedcondition;

FIG. 20 is a section view taken along the lines 20--20 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is view similar to that of FIG. 20 but with the tamper tabsremoved and the sealing closure open;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the container showing the tear tab flapbeing rotated during the removal of the tear tab;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a closure for a container closureincluding an orifice cap a sealing cap and a tamper tab assembly, withthe sealing cap shown in the open position;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the container closure shown in theclosed condition;

FIG. 25 is a fragmentary front elevation view illustrating a closuremounted on a container wherein the tamper tab assembly is moldedintegrally with the shoulder of the container and is attached to theclosure;

FIG. 26 is a section view taken along the line 26--26 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary front elevation view illustrating a closuremounted on a container wherein the tamper tab assembly is moldedintegrally with the neck of the container below the closure and attachedto the closure;

FIG. 28 is a section view taken along the line 28--28 of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a diagrammatic side elevation view, in section, of thetooling used in a first stage of manufacture of the container of FIGS.11-22;

FIG. 30 is a diagrammatic side elevation view, in section, of thetooling used in a second stage of manufacture of the container of FIGS.11-22;

FIG. 31 is a vertical section view of the neck and closure of analternative embodiment of the integrally molded container of FIGS.11-22;

FIG. 32 is a view similar to FIG. 31, but showing the closure in theclosed condition;

FIG. 33 is a diagrammatic side elevation view, in section, of anembodiment for tooling used in the first stage of manufacture of asmooth shaped integrally molded plastic restricted neck container;

FIG. 34 is a diagrammatic side view, in section, of the tooling used inthe second stage of manufacture of the smooth shaped integrally moldedplastic restricted neck container shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is a diagrammatic front elevation view, in section, of thetooling used in the second stage of manufacture of the smooth shapedintegrally molded plastic restricted neck container shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 36 is a diagrammatic side elevation view, in section, of toolingused in the first stage of manufacture of an integrally molded plasticrestricted neck container with the apex of the cavities forming at hingepoints according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 37 is a diagrammatic side elevation view, in section, of toolingused in the manufacture of the intermediate layer of a triple walledblow molded container in accordance with a further embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 38 is a top plan view of an integrally molded container havingin-line orifice and sealing caps;

FIG. 39 is a fragmentary perspective view of the neck and closure of thecontainer of FIG. 38;

FIG. 40 is a side elevation section view of the container of FIG. 38shown in the open molded condition;

FIG. 41 is a view similar to FIG. 40 with the container shown in theclosed condition;

FIG. 42 is a perspective elevation view of an injection molded containerhaving a tamper indicating assembly formed integrally with its closure;

FIG. 43 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 for an alternativeembodiment of the container neck and closure;

FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the container neck and closure of FIG. 43;

FIG. 45 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 10 and 20 showing details ofthe container orifice and sealing caps;

FIG. 46 is a fragmentary top of the container of FIG. 45 with thesealing caps in the open position, and also is a top plan view of theorifice cap and sealing cap of the container closure of FIG. 11;

FIG. 47 is a diagrammatic, top plan view of a portion of horizontallyoriented tooling for producing a container by an injection blow moldingprocess;

FIG. 48 a diagrammatic, side section view of injection mold stagetooling including a one-piece preform cavity and having an upper capcavity carried by the blow rod; and,

FIG. 49 a diagrammatic, side section view of a blow mold stage toolingincluding having an upper cap cavity carried by the blow rod.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, there is shown a singlecompartment, injection blow molded integrally formed, double capone-piece container 10 made of plastic. The container 10 has a body 11,a pivotal cooperating sealing cap 12, and a pivotal cooperating sealableorifice cap 14 which contains an orifice 15 which receives a mating boss16 carried by the sealing cap 12 when the container is closed (FIG. 3).The orifice cap 14 is oriented 90° relative to the sealing cap 12 as isshown in FIG. 2. The container 10 is suitable for dispensing liquids,for example shampoo, and thus the need for an orifice 15 in the orificecap and cooperating boss 16 on the sealing cap 12. The sealing cap 12 ispivotally hinged to the container body 11 by a hinge 17 which is locatedat the rear of the container body. The hinge 17 has its horizontal axison a plane level with the bottom of the lip or flange 19 which receivesthe edge of the sealing cap 12 when the orifice cap is in a closedposition as shown in FIG. 3. The orifice cap cannot be closed pasthorizontal due to the flange 19, that is, the sealing cap hinge ishigher than the orifice cap hinge 18. The orifice cap is pivotallyhinged to the body 11 by an integrally molded hinge 18. The hinge 18 forthe orifice cap 14 need not be substantial in size, and thus can be lessvisually intrusive, because normally it will be pivoted only a fewtimes.

To seal the container after the container body has been filled with therequired contents, the orifice cap 14 is pivoted 180° about its hinge 18to a closing position where it is seated in the neck of the containerbody. Then the sealing cap 12 is pivoted 180° about its hinge 17 to aclosing position where it is seated in the orifice cap as is shown inFIG. 3. Many combinations of orientations of the sealing cap 12, theorifice cap 14 and body opening are possible. For example, the sealingcap 12 may be pivotally attached to the orifice cap 14 or to the bodyopening, the sealing cap 12 and the orifice cap 14 may be in line witheach other, such as for container 50A as is illustrated in FIGS. 38-41.In a further alternative, the orifice cap 14 may be molded in a verticalposition so that only 90° rotation is required to move it to its closedposition, or the orifice cap hinge may be positioned adjacent or on thetop of the sealing cap hinge. Any practical type of hinge can be used.The orifice cap 14 can contain one or more orifices arranged in anymanner.

The container need not be manufactured with the orifice cap if a smallrestricting orifice is not required. A suitable seal between theintegrally molded sealing cap and body opening will then be required,such as an extended lip on the cap which sealably cooperates with theinner surface of the neck of the body, as illustrated in FIG. 28, forexample.

The container is produced, for example, using a multi-station injectionblow molding apparatus, an injection stretch molding apparatus, aninjection molding apparatus or any other suitable molding apparatus. Inproducing the integrally molded double cap container, first a parison isformed with the integrally molded sealing cap and the orifice cap, thentransferred to the blow station where the final shape of the containerbody is formed. By way of illustration, the parison including any solidparts, such as the integrally molded sealing cap and the orifice cap, isformed by injection molding tooling (not shown) at a first injectionmolding station of an injection blow molding apparatus. Then, theparison and the integral solid components formed therewith aretransferred as a unit along with the core rod 23 and a pair of moldplates 26 and 28 to a second station, which is the blow station of theinjection blow molding apparatus, the tooling 20 for blowing the parisonat the blow station being shown diagrammatically in section in FIG. 4.The tooling includes a two part mold 26 and a two part mold 25 whichdefine a cavity 27 for blowing the parison to the final shape of thecontainer, and cavity top plate 28 which together with the upper surfaceof mold 26 defines a cavity 27a for the injection molding of the sealingcap 12 and a further cavity (not shown) which defines a cavity for theinjection molding of the orifice cap. At the blow station, the parisonis blown to the final shape for the container body by air that isintroduced into the cavity 27 through the core rod 23, in the mannerknown in the art, to conform to the shape of the cavity 27 defined bythe mold plate 25 to produce the completed container 10. To simplify thedrawing, the mold apparatus shown in FIG. 4 does not include toolingfeatures known in the art, such as cooling channels, ejection points orthe mold transport apparatus.

To remove the molded container 10 from the tooling 20, the top cavityplate 28 is elevated, allowing the sealing cap 12 and the orifice cap 14to be released from their cooperating cavities in plate 26 by beingejected about their hinges. Then the mold plates 25 and 26 are movedoutward in the direction indicated by the arrows 29. Then the integrallymolded container 10 is ejected off the core rod 23. The container 10 mayalso be molded, filled and the sealing cap 12 and orifice cap 14 sealedin place by a single production machine.

Generally, it is advantageous for living or film hinges which areproduced from plastic to be flexed while the item is still warm. This isachieved automatically in the tooling. The hinges, such as hinges 17 and18 of container 10 are living or film type integrally molded hinges, buta three part or folding hinge or other hinge types also can be used.

Of course, the sealing cap 12 and orifice cap 14 need not be restrictedto manufacture by injection blow molding, depending on the shape andconfiguration of the article being produced. Any suitable method ispossible. For example, for a container where no large undercuts arerequired in the body, injection molding could be used for a containerhaving straight sides with an integral sealing cap and an orifice cap.

A further embodiment of an integrally molded plastic container 30 isshown in FIGS. 5-7. Referring to FIGS. 5-7, which are fragmentarysection views of the upper portion of the container, the container 30includes a container body 31, an outer or sealing cap 32 connected tothe body by a living hinge 33 and an inner cap or orifice cap 34connected to the body by a living hinge 35. The inner sealing cap 34includes an orifice 36. The outer sealing cap 32 includes a boss 37which is received in the orifice 36, plugging or sealing the orificewhen the sealing cap is closed as shown in FIG. 7. The heightorientation for hinge 33 is different from that for hinge 35. In theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5-7, the horizontal axis of hinge 33 islocated higher than the horizontal axis of hinge 35. The advantage ofsuch arrangement is that there is no interference between the orificecap and the sealing cap as they are rotated to their respective closingpositions. The neck of the container body includes a cutout 38corresponding in length to the length of the hinge 35 so that the upperedge of the orifice cap is flush with the horizontal axis of the hinge33. In addition, the outer surface of the orifice cap 34 includes one ormore annular ribs 39 which are received in complementary annular grooves40 in the inner surface of the container neck to lock the orifice cap inplace in the neck of the container. The ribs 39 and grooves 40 providesnap together fit for the inner cap 34 and the neck of the container toaid in maintaining the inner cap 34 in a horizontal position and toprevent the inner cap 34 from opening under pressure. Also, thecomplementary ribs 39 and grooves 40 act as a labyrinth seal to preventleakage of the contents of the container. The inner surface of the neckof the container defines an annular inwardly directed shoulder or step131a to also prevent the inner cap from being closed beyond a horizontalposition.

Referring to FIGS. 8-10, there are illustrated integrally molded plasticcontainers 41, 42 and 43. In the container 41 having body portion 31a,the orifice cap includes an annular shoulder 44 which extends around theouter edge of the orifice cap, defining a sealing edge for the sealingcap 32, the outer peripheral edge 45 of which is received on theshoulder 44. The orifice cap has a chamfer 34a and a peripheral flange46 as per container 42. The horizontal axis of hinge 33 is locatedhigher than the horizontal axis of hinge 35. Container 41 is similar tothe container of FIG. 3, but has in-line caps and grooves 40 percontainer 30. Container 42 is like container 41 but without shoulder 44and chamfer 34a. In the container 42, the orifice cap has a peripheralflange 46 which rests on the upper edge of the neck of the container,defining a resting surface for the container body 31. The horizontalaxis of hinge 33 is located higher than the horizontal axis of hinge 35.

Container 43, which is illustrated in FIG. 10, has a sealing cap 47 anda recessed, or necked in, flat finger scalloped area so that the hinge35 is located within the boundaries of the circular sealing cap andspaced inwardly from the inside of the sealing cap, defining a flatfinger access area 49. That is, there is no interference from the hinge35 for the finger of an individual opening the container. In thisembodiment, the hinges 33 and 35 are located at the same height. Thehinge or pivot shown is that of a living or film type integrally moldedhinge but a three part or folding hinge or other hinge type can also beused. Alternatively, the container may have a full round neck as shownin FIGS. 43 and 44 rather than the flat finger access area 49 (FIG. 10).In this embodiment, the front 48a of the sealing cap 47a protrudes froma location 47b to clear the orifice cap hinge 35. Referring to FIG. 45,in each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5-8 and 44 or otherembodiments, the lower edge of the orifice cap may include a chamfer 34aand the respective lower edges 36a and 37a of the orifice and the bossmay be tapered for ease of closing.

Referring to FIGS. 11-20 and 22, there is illustrated an integrallymolded double cap plastic container 50 which includes a container body51 with a cooperating orifice cap 52 and a cooperating sealable sealingcap 54. FIG. 21 illustrates a similar container neck with an integrallymolded closure, but without an orifice cap. The orifice cap 52 ispivotally hinged to the container body by a hinge 53 that is integralwith orifice cap 52. The orifice cap 52 includes an orifice 56. Thesealing cap 54 is pivotally hinged to the container by a hinge 55 thatis integral with the sealing cap 54. The hinges 53 and 55 of therespective orifice and sealing caps are shown in detail in FIG. 46. Inthis view, the container neck includes the sealing ring or rings 40 andthe orifice cap includes the annular bead or lip 39 of the embodimentsof FIGS. 5-10.

The sealing cap 54 includes an integral tear tab assembly 57. Thesealing cap 54 also includes a boss 58 which plugs the orifice 56 whenthe sealing cap 54 is in its sealing condition. A scalloped fingeraccess area 59 provides a straight edge for the orifice cap hinge withinthe confines of the sealing cap and to give better access to aid in theopening of the sealing cap 54. The orifice bearing cap 52 is hinged onthe flat top edge or finish portion 60 of the container openingoverlying the finger access area 59. When the orifice cap 52 is closed,the resulting sealing lip 61 (FIG. 14) between the tip of the orificecap and the edge of the body opening provides guidance and sealing forthe sealing cap. An extra sealing wall 62 is provided in the sealing capfor total sealing. A notch or recess 63, shown in FIG. 17, in the sideof the orifice cap opposite to the hinge 53 is formed to receive the tipof a tool, the edge of a coin or the tip of a fingernail to aid in thereopening of the orifice cap to permit the container to be refilled.Alternatively, a tab could be provided on the orifice cap to facilitateopening of the orifice cap for refilling of the container. Such tab mayprotrude into the space of the sealing cap in which case a pocket (notshown) for clearance can be provided in the sealing cap. The hinges forthe two caps are positioned opposite each other, but any other angularor height orientation is possible. The hinge or pivot shown is that of aliving or film type integrally molded hinge but a three part or foldinghinge or other hinge type can also be used.

The tear tab assembly 57 is molded integrally on the bottom edge 64 ofthe sealing cap and includes a pair of tear tab flaps 65. The free end66 of the tear tab assembly 57 is defined by a narrow plastic extensionwhich is received in a recessed portion 59a of the lower neck area 59.The free end 66 is secured to the body of the container in recess 59apermanently by ultrasonic welding after the container has been filledand the two caps have been rotated to their closed positions. The freeend 66 may be secured to the container by other means of attachment,provided that such attachment results in two top and bottom necked areaswhich serve as upper tear point 67 and a lower tear point 68,respectively. Alternatively, one tear point is possible, this giving theadvantage that no material is removed from the container and wasted.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 17, the tabs 65 are generally triangular incross section with the apex 65a facing inwardly to provide rigidity. Thetear tabs are separated by a flat section 65b extending the width of thetear strip. Alternatively, the tear tabs may be triangular in crosssection but without a flat in the center. In the latter case, to removea sealed tear tab, the tab portion which is not being gripped willrotate around the neck of the container, acting as a wedge for providingleverage, the mechanical advantage thus provided making removal of thetear strip easier. The elements of the tear tab assembly, including thetear points and extension 66 but excluding the flats 65, are radiused inkeeping with the circular shape of the cap and the container body. Thisadds stiffness to the tear tab assembly and aides in assembly.

For a container where no large undercuts are required in the body,injection molding could be used for a container having straight sideswith a sealing cap and an orifice cap, such as container 50B illustratedin FIG. 42, where like elements have reference numerals corresponding toelements of container 50.

Referring to FIG. 17, to close the container 50, the orifice cap 52 isrotated 180° about its hinge 53 where it is received in the opening ofthe container. Then, the sealing cap 54 is rotated 180° about its hinge55 to locate the free end 66 adjacent to the finger access area 59.Then, the free end 66 of the tear tab assembly is secured to thecontainer by ultrasonic welding to provide the closed containerillustrated in FIGS. 12 and 18-20, for example.

Referring to FIGS. 20-22, after the container has been filled, sealedand then secured by attachment of the tamper tab to the container,access to the interior of the container is achieved by removing thematerial of the tear tab flaps 65 between the upper tear point 67 andthe lower tear point 68. As is illustrated in FIG. 22, the tear tabflaps are removed by rotating one of the tear tab flaps about a verticalaxis extending through the upper and lower tear points 67 and 68. Thetear tab flaps are symmetrical left and right longitudinal sectionswhich are suitable for gripping by finger action so that tearing of theplastic can be achieved by either a left or right opening operation. Toreduce the tearing force on opening the tear tab, a wedge action isprovided by a projection or boss 69. The tear tab 65 in this embodimenthas two hinged areas 82. When either one of the tear tab flaps isrotated about the tab hinge area 82 so that the tear tab is forcedagainst the boss, the boss acts as a wedge which aids in the initialtearing of the plastic material of the tear tab 65, so that the tamperstrip can completely removed as shown in FIG. 13. To further reduce theinitial tear force required, one of the tear points can be positionedahead of the other tear point. When the longitudinal sections have beenremoved, the sealing cap 54 is free to be pivoted about its hinge 55 tothe open position illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 21, for example. Thepresence of the longitudinal sections of the tamper tab as shown inFIGS. 12 and 19, for example, is indicative that the container has notbeen opened or tampered with subsequent to the container being filled,closed and sealed by the manufacturer of the product contained in thecontainer.

Referring to FIGS. 23 and 24, the same tear tab concept can be appliedto other closures, for example, standard screw on type, or push on capsor dispensing type closures 80, such as the type of closures used onshampoo bottles. The closure 80 includes a cap body portion 81, havingan orifice 84 and a sealing cap 54 which is molded integrally with thecap body and are connected to the cap body by a hinge 55. As for thecontainer 50 (FIG. 11), the free end 66 of the tear tab assembly 57 issecured to the body, which in this case is the cap body portion 81.Alternatively, the free end 66 may be extended in length and secured tothe body of a container with which the cap is used. The tear tab 65 inthis embodiment has two hinged areas 82 and a boss 83. When either oneof the tear tab flaps is rotated about the tab hinge area 82 so that thetear tab is forced against the boss, the boss 83 acts as a wedge whichaids in the initial tearing of the plastic material of the tear tab 65.Alternately, an opposite approach could be made where the tear tab couldbe integrally molded in the body of the container itself and the freeend secured by ultrasonic welding or other means to the sealing cap, lidor top. Such arrangement is especially suited for screw on type closureswhere rotation of the closure would be hindered if an integral tear tabwere present on the lower edge of the closure itself.

Referring to FIGS. 25-28, the integrally molded tear tab assembly 57need not be molded concurrently with the container, but rather may beinjection molded to the container body after the container body has beenblown but before the container body is removed from the mold cavity. Thecontainer body can be injection molded or extrusion blow molded, forexample. FIGS. 25 and 26 show the integrally molded tear tab assembly 57extending up from the section 85 of the body below a screw cap 86 andsecured to the cap 86 at 87 by ultrasonic welding, for example. In FIGS.27 and 28, the tear tab is shown extending up from the lowerintersection 88 to the finger access area 89, and the tear tab securingpoint 90 is recessed in the sealing cap 91 which is hinged to the neckof the container by hinge 92 as is shown in FIG. 28. The sealing capshown in FIG. 28 has extended flanges 93 but which does not have anorifice component, such as an orifice cap. The tear tab conceptsdescribed can be applied to any application where the securing of twoparts is required.

Referring to FIGS. 29 and 30, there is shown, diagrammatically, toolingfor the manufacturing process which provides the integral manufacture ofthe container 50 shown in FIG. 11, for example. The container isproduced in a multistage process first forming a preform or parison fromwhich the container body 51 is blown in a blow molding apparatus, thepreform being formed in an injection molding apparatus with the orificecap 52, the sealing cap 54, the tear tab assembly 57 and any other itemsor features that are required. Referring to FIG. 29, the tooling 100 forthe first stage of the production cycle that provides for the injectionmolding through the injection nozzle 101 of an integrally molded preformor parison 102 from which the body 51 (FIG. 11) of the finishedcontainer is blown, the parison including the integrally molded orificecap 52, the sealing cap 54, and the tear tab assembly 57 in theembodiment illustrated. The mold cavity arrangement of the tooling 100includes a split lower left hand preform cavity defining tool 104 and asplit lower right hand preform cavity defining tool 105. In addition,the tooling 100 includes a left lower cap cavity defining tool 106, aright lower cap cavity defining tool 107 and an upper cap cavitydefining tool 108. The left lower cap cavity defining tool 106 providesa cavity for producing the lower surface of the orifice cap 52. Theright lower cap cavity defining tool 107 provides a cavity for producingthe lower surface of the sealing cap 54. The upper cap cavity definingtool 108 provides a cavity for producing the upper surfaces of theorifice cap 52 and the sealing cap 54, including the orifice 56 and theboss 58. The tooling 100 further includes an orifice cap recess sidecore cavity defining tool 110 which provides a projection for producingthe recess 63 of the orifice cap 52 and a tear tab assembly side corecavity defining tool 112 which provides a cavity for producing the teartab assembly 57. The core cavity tool 110 locates the recess 63 on theorifice cap in a position above or at least partially above thecontainer neck, as shown in FIG. 20, for example, to provide access tothe slot when the orifice cap is closed. A core rod 114, which is thecore for the preform, acts as the passageway for the flow of air andbottle contents. The core rod 114 passes through the top cavity tool 108and the left and right hand bottom cap cavity tools 106 and 107. Thetooling 100 further includes an orifice cap ejection pin 116, a sealingcap ejection pin 118, a tear tab assembly ejection pin 120, an orificecap rotating ejector bar 122. A sealing cap rotating ejector bar (notshown) acts on both sides under the tear tab assembly 57. Both sides ofthe rotating ejector bars pass through to the outside of the tool wherethey are attached to a rotating mechanism (not shown). Alternatively,the orifice cap could be an integral flat section and be molded in avertical position.

As shown in FIG. 29, the shape of the preform 102 in cross section isnot fully circular. Rather, the preform has a flat 126 that runs itsentire length so as to provide the flat surface that will define thefinger access area 59 of the finished container. Thus, the mouth oropening of the container is generally D-shaped as is shown in FIG. 15.An alternative to this is to provide a flat only in the area requiredfor finger access, in which case, a side core is provided in the corerod 114 and a full circular section is formed below the finger accessarea.

The split 130 between the preform cavity defining tools 104 and 105 andthe bottom surface of the lower cap cavity tools 106 and 107 is abovethe area where stretching of the plastic takes place when the preform isblown. This ensures that a large visible line will not be present on thefinished container body.

Referring additionally to FIG. 30, in the second stage of themanufacturing process, which is the blow stage, the split two-part lowerpreform cavity tools 104 and 105 are opened and replaced by furthersplit two-part lower preform cavity tools 134 and 135, the neck portionof the preform being held by the left lower cap cavity defining tool106, the right lower cap cavity defining tool 107 the upper cap cavitydefining tool 108, the orifice cap recess side core cavity defining tool110 and a tear tab assembly side core cavity defining tool 112.Compressed air is passed down the core rod 114 to expand the containerbody defining portion of the plastic preform 102 outwardly against theinner surface of the tooling to the shape of the mold cavity, formingthe finished shape for the container, including forming a lower radiusby a portion 134a of the mold to complete the formation of the flatfinger access area 59. Alternatively, the radius could be molded in whenforming the preform but this has the disadvantage of having a locallyincreased wall section. The core rod is then withdrawn to a positionabove the container opening and the container is then filled with therequired contents through the core rod. The top cap cavity tool 108 iswithdrawn. The ejector pins 116 and 118 are then withdrawn. The ejectorpins may not be necessary if the tear tab and the recess in the orificecap 110 are present. The orifice cap recess side core cavity tool 110 iswithdrawn. The tear tab assembly side core cavity tool 112 is withdrawn.The tear tab assembly ejector pin 120 is withdrawn. The orifice cap 52is closed by rotating its associated ejector bar. The left hand side ofboth the lower cap cavity tool 106 and the bottle cavity mold tool 104are opened together. The sealing cap 54 is closed by the sealing caprotating ejector bar (not shown). The finished container is then removedfrom the mold cavity by a robotic type grip head or ejected directly outof the cavity by ejector pins (not shown) in the mold cavity. Finally,the free end 66 of the tamper tab assembly is ultrasonically welded inplace.

The container need not be filled and sealed in the above process, butmay be operated on down stream where the filling and full closing of thecaps and the labelling is carried out. If the container is not filled inthe cavity (which aids the cooling of the plastic), preferably, theorifice cap is rotated a minimum of 45° about its hinge before the lefthand lower cap cavity tool 104 (FIG. 29) is opened because an undercutis present. Alternately, with reference to FIGS. 31-32, container 136includes a hinge 137 for the orifice cap 52 that is modified toeliminate the undercut so that rotation of the orifice cap 52 is notnecessary before opening of the left hand mold cavity tools. The sealingcap 54 of the container 136 must be rotated a minimum of 45° by thesealing cap rotary ejector bars, prior to the container being ejectedfrom the mold 104 and 105, but it is advantageous to rotate the sealingcaps after molding because this aids hinge strength.

Referring to FIGS. 33-35, there is shown tooling 140 for the formationof a smooth shaped restricted necked integrally molded plastic bottle orcontainer 142 (FIG. 35) with an elliptical shaped top 144, having thesame integral features, including the orifice cap 52 and the sealing cap54 as the container 50 shown in FIGS. 11-22. Referring to FIG. 33, thetooling 140 is illustrated, diagrammatically, in sectional sideelevation, for the formation of an integrally molded preform or parison146 with a bulge 148 near the neck or opening 150 of the container body,except in the flat finger access area 59 (FIG. 34). Referring to FIG.34, when the preform 142 is blown, a flat sealing area 154 is formed forthe orifice cap 52 and a sealing area is provided between the core rod114 and the neck of the container for containing the compressed airwithin the preform during the blow operation. A tab 157 is located atthe rear of the orifice cap 52 to aid in reopening of the orifice cap 52to allow refilling of the container. A complementary recess (not shown)is provided in the sealing cap 54 for receiving the tab 157. The formed,smooth shaped container 142 is shown in a front sectional view in FIG.35.

Referring to FIG. 38, the preform cavity mold need not be a split mold,but can be a one piece mold 160 for producing the container body portionof a preform 162 with integral orifice and sealing caps, eliminating thesplit 130 (FIG. 29) between the lower cap cavity mold tools 106 and 107and the preform cavity mold defining tools 104 and 105. This avoids thehorizontal mold line round the neck of the finished container. The lowerapex right hand cap cavity 163 and the lower apex left hand cap cavity164 of the tooling that form the integral orifice and sealing caps arethe similar as for the tooling 100 (FIG. 29). Rotating the sealing capsclosed is achieved by a pivot mechanism in the split bottle cavity.Alternatively, the split bottom preform cavities and bottle cavities canform an apex at the orifice and sealing cap hinge points. Thisarrangement requires that the split run the opposite way, but nohorizontal mold line is formed at the neck of the container.

Referring to FIG. 37, there is illustrated a preform 170 for use inproducing a container, wherein the preform is formed with amulti-layered wall including an outer base layer 172 and an intermediatelayer 174. Multi-layer wall containers, such as twin and triple layeredwall containers, are produced for two reasons. The first reason is theadded barrier properties which different layered plastic offer. Thesecond reason is that recycled plastic is sandwiched between virginmaterial. The forming of the intermediate layer 174 (or intermediatepreform) over the base layer (or base preform) is carried out prior tothe molding of the third final layer (not shown) in forming the integralpreform. The tooling for the first two stages of the process whichproduces the base and intermediate layers or preforms necessitatesdifferent lower sets of preform cavity molds. Alternatively, the baseand intermediate preforms can be vacuum formed and assembled in thecavity prior to the molding of the preform.

FIG. 47 is a top plan view of a portion of horizontally oriented tooling180 illustrating the lower preform cavity tool 181, the upper preformcavity being removed, for producing a container by an injection blowmolding process. The container is similar to container 50, shown in FIG.11, but is circular in shape and does not show the tamper indicatingassembly. Referring to FIG. 47, the tooling 180 illustrated is that forthe first stage of the production cycle that provides for the injectionmolding through the injection nozzle 101 of an integrally molded preformor parison 182 from which the body, shown by the dashed lines, of thefinished container is blown, the parison 182 including an integrallymolded orifice cap 52 and sealing cap 54 similar to like numberedelements for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11. The tooling 180includes the lower preform cavity tool 181, an upper preform cavity tool(not shown) which is the mirror image of tool 181, and a cap cavitydefining tool 185. The cap cavity defining tool defines the cavities forproducing the inner surfaces of the orifice cap 52 and of the sealingcap 54, including the orifice 56 and the boss 58, the outer surfacesbeing defined by the upper and lower preform cavity tools. A core rod114, which is the core for the preform, acts as the passageway for theflow of air. The tooling 180 further includes an orifice cap ejectionpin 187 and a sealing cap ejection pin 188.

The cap cavity defining tool 185 is carried by the core rod 114 and isaligned into the upper and lower preform cavity tools by way of locationsurfaces 189 on the preform cavity tools and mating surfaces on the capcavity defining tool. The shape of the preform 182, in cross section isnot fully circular. Rather, the preform has a flat that runs its entirelength so as to provide the flat surface that will define the fingeraccess area of the finished container in the manner of container 50shown in FIG. 11.

Referring to FIG. 48, there is shown injection mold stage tooling 190including a one-piece preform cavity 191 for producing a preform 192including an integrally molded orifice cap 52 and an integrally moldedsealing cap 54. The tooling includes an upper cap cavity 193 for formingthe inner surface of the orifice and sealing caps and outer core 194 forforming the recess 63 and the tear tab assembly 57. The outer core 194locates the recess 63 on the orifice cap in a position above or at leastpartially above the container neck to provide access to the slot whenthe orifice cap is closed. The upper cap cavity 193 is carried by theblow rod 114. This tooling layout requires removal of the preform 192and the upper cap cavity 193 in a direction in line with the axis of thecore rod for transferring the preform to the blow mold stage tooling 195which is shown in FIG. 49.

Referring to FIG. 49, there is shown a Gussoni type blow mold stagetooling 195 for defining a split bottle cavities 196 and 197 for blowingthe preform 193 carried on the blow rod 114 along with the upper capcavity 193. Cap rotating bars 198 are provided to rotate the caps 52 and54 towards the closed positions after the container body 51 has beenblown to its final shape.

Although the integrally molded container provided by the presentinvention is described as being produced by an injection blow moldingprocess, other methods of manufacture are possible, such as injectionstretch blow molding, or injection molding which is particularly suitedfor applications where the container body does not have a restrictedneck area. These tooling layouts can be used horizontally oriented,Gussoni type molding type machines and can also be used in a verticalorientation. Other methods or adaptations of machine layout which can beused to manufacture the integral container include the Piotrowsk, Mosloand Farkus methods or adaptations. The plastic injection point at thebottom of the preform or parison need not be the only injection point.Other points may be located on the inner and/or the outer caps. Thecontainers can be any practical shape and size and need not be forexample rectilinear or curvelinear. The embodiments may contain anysubstance. No restrictions are claimed on size, shape, use, contents,number of compartments or manufacturing method. The concepts discussedcan be applied to other non integral containers. The features of onedesign can also be applied other designs and visa versa. Any feature orcombination of features from any of the embodiments where applicable canbe used to form any non specifically described container. The inventionhas been described by way of example only and it should be understoodthat modifications and improvements may be made to the invention withoutdeparting from the scope of the descriptions and drawings.

I claim:
 1. An integrally molded plastic container for containing aflowable substance to be dispensed, said container comprising: acontainer body blow molded to form a container neck portion and ashoulder portion interconnecting said container neck portion and saidcontainer body, said container neck portion defining an opening to theinterior of the container and having a cross-sectional area that issubstantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of said containerbody, and closure means including an orifice cap having an orifice, saidorifice cap being flexibly hinged to said container neck portionadjacent to said container opening for pivoting movement from an openposition to a closed position where said orifice cap closes saidcontainer opening, a sealing cap flexibly hinged to said container neckportion adjacent to said container opening for pivoting movementrelative to said orifice cap between a closed position where saidsealing cap is located in sealing relation with said orifice and an openposition where said sealing cap is out of sealing relation with saidorifice permitting the substance to flow out of the container throughsaid orifice, said sealing cap having a fixed edge portion hinged tosaid container neck portion at a first side of said container neckportion and a free edge portion opposite to said fixed edge portion,said orifice cap having a fixed edge portion hinged to said containerneck portion at a second side of said container neck portion which isopposite to said first side, said fixed edge portion of said orifice capbeing located within the confines of said sealing cap and spacedinwardly of said free edge portion of said sealing cap when said sealingcap is in said closed position.
 2. The integrally molded containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said container neck portion has agenerally flat finger access area at a side opposite to said first sideto provide finger access to the bottom surface of said free edge portionof said sealing cap to aid in moving said cap from said closed positionto said open position, said finger access area defining a substantiallystraight edge portion for the periphery of said container neck portionat said opposite side, a hinge connecting said a fixed edge portion ofsaid orifice cap to said container neck portion at said straight edgeportion thereof, said sealing cap including a top which overlies saidorifice cap when said sealing cap is in said closed position and asidewall at least a portion of which is positioned adjacent to andspaced outwardly from said straight edge portion on the periphery ofsaid container neck when said sealing cap is in said closed position,said hinge being located inboard of the sidewall of said sealing cap atthe free end thereof and within the confines of said sealing cap whensaid sealing cap is in said closed position.
 3. The integrally moldedcontainer according to claim 2, wherein said orifice cap includes anotch at a location opposite said fixed edge portion thereof, said notchbeing disposed on said fixed edge portion of said orifice cap so as tobe located above the container neck portion when said orifice cap is insaid closed position, defining a gripping location to facilitate thereopening of said orifice cap for refilling of the container.
 4. Theintegrally molded container according to claim 2, wherein said closuremeans includes tamper indicating means molded integrally therewith, saidtamper indicating means having a securing end portion adapted to bepermanently secured to the container neck portion after the containerhas been filled and closed to thereby secure said sealing cap to saidcontainer neck portion.
 5. The integrally molded container according toclaim 4, wherein said tamper indicating means is molded integrally withsaid sealing cap and includes severable tear tab means interposedbetween said sealing cap and said securing end portion and adapted to besevered therefrom, thereby disconnecting said sealing cap from saidsecuring end portion to permit said sealing cap to be moved to the openposition.
 6. The integrally molded container according to claim 4,wherein said tamper indicating means at least partially encloses saidfinger access area to prevent access thereto.
 7. The integrally moldedcontainer according to claim 1, wherein said orifice cap and saidsealing cap are hinged to said container neck portion at differentheight orientations.
 8. The integrally molded container according toclaim 1, wherein said container body is generally rectangular or oval incross section, said sealing cap and said orifice cap being hinged tosaid container neck portion at opposite sides thereof and extending inline with one another and in overlying relation with said shoulderportion of said container when said sealing cap and said orifice cap areboth in said open position.
 9. An integrally molded plastic containerfor containing a substance to be dispensed, said container comprising: abody portion having an opening to the interior of the container, closuremeans for closing said container opening, said closure means includingan orifice cap having an orifice, and a sealing cap having a top and asidewall, a first hinge connecting said orifice cap to said containerbody portion adjacent to said container opening at a first locationalong the periphery of said container opening for pivoting movementbetween an open position and a closed position in which said orifice capcloses said container opening so that said substance can be dispensedonly through said orifice, a second hinge connecting said sealing cap tosaid container body portion adjacent to said container opening at asecond location along the periphery of said container opening forpivoting movement between an open position and a closed position inwhich said top of said sealing cap overlies said orifice cap with aportion of said sidewall of said sealing cap positioned adjacent to andspaced outwardly from said first location along the periphery of saidcontainer opening, whereby said first hinge is located within theconfines of said sealing cap and spaced inwardly from said portion ofsaid sidewall of said sealing cap when said sealing cap is in saidclosed position, said sealing cap including means for sealing saidorifice only when said sealing cap is in said closed position.
 10. Theintegrally molded container according to claim 9, wherein said containerbody portion includes a generally flat finger access area at said firstlocation, said finger access area defining a substantially straight edgeportion for the periphery of said container opening at said firstlocation, and the remaining portion of the periphery of said containeropening being generally annular in shape whereby the periphery of saidcontainer opening has a generally "D" shape configuration, said firsthinge being connected to said container body portion at said straightedge portion and overlying said flat finger access area, providingaccess to the bottom surface portion of said sealing cap near theperipheral edge thereof to aid in moving said sealing cap from saidclosed position to said open position, and wherein the shape of saidorifice cap conforms to the "D" shape of said container opening.
 11. Theintegrally molded container according to claim 10, wherein said sealingcap is hinged to said container neck portion at a location diametricallyopposed to said first location.
 12. The integrally molded containeraccording to claim 10, including tamper indicating means formedintegrally with said closing portion, said tamper indicating meansincluding a securing end portion adapted to be secured to the containerbody portion after said container has been filled and closed to therebysecure said closing portion to said container body portion, and tear tabmeans including at least one tear tab interposed between said closingportion and said securing end portion and adapted to be severedtherefrom, thereby disconnecting said closing portion from said securingend portion to permit said container to be opened.
 13. The integrallymolded container according to claim 12, wherein said tamper indicatingmeans is molded integrally with said sealing cap.
 14. The integrallymolded container according to claim 12, wherein said tamper indictingmeans includes a boss defining a pivot for said tear tab means.
 15. Theintegrally molded container according to claim 12, wherein said tamperindicating means includes at least one tear point defining a weakenedportion for said tear tab means.
 16. A parison for use in blow moldingto produce an integrally molded plastic container having a blow moldedcontainer body with a restricted neck portion defining an opening to theinterior of the container body, and a closure portion for closing saidopening, said parison comprising: a first portion adapted to be expandedby a blow molding process to form the container body and the restrictedneck portion therefor, and a second portion defining said closureportion, including an orifice cap that is integrally molded with saidneck portion at a first location along the periphery of said opening anda sealing cap that is molded integrally with said neck portion at asecond location along the periphery of said opening that is spaced atleast 90° from said first location.
 17. The method of producing anintegrally molded container having a container body and including a neckportion that defines an opening to the interior of the container body,and a closure portion for sealing said opening, said method comprisingthe steps of: injection molding a parison in a first mold assembly toform a container body portion, said neck portion and said closureportion, with said closure portion including an orifice cap that ismolded integrally with said neck portion at a first location along theperiphery of said opening and a sealing cap that is molded integrallywith said neck portion at a second location along the periphery of saidopening that is spaced at least 90° from said first location, andexpanding the container body of said parison in a second mold assemblyusing a blow molding apparatus in a blow molding operation to producethe completed container.
 18. The method according to claim 17, includingthe steps of transferring said parison and the portion of said firstmold assembly in which said closure portion is formed from an injectionmold station to a blow station.
 19. The method according to claim 17,wherein said container body includes a restricted neck portion whichdefines an opening to the interior of the container, and wherein saidrestricted neck portion is produced by extrusion blow molding.
 20. Themethod according to claim 17, including the steps of transferring saidparison and the portion of said first mold assembly in which saidclosure portion is formed from an injection mold station to a blowstation.
 21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said neck portiondefines a restricted neck for said container which defines said openingto the interior of the container body, and including maintaining saidneck portion in a portion of said first mold assembly during said blowmolding operation whereby said restricted neck is produced in said blowmolding operation.
 22. The method according to claim 17, includingproducing said container body and neck portion by extrusion blowmolding.